Monteverde, Costa Rica

Tucked away in the high mountains of Costa Rica, you’ll find the small town of Monteverde. It’s home to famous cloud forests and adventure parks that attract thrill seekers and adventurers alike. Unfortunately, during my time in Monteverde, I caught a really bad cold and was bedridden most days. Nothing is worse than being sick and not being in your own bed. I was however able to get in a few adventures during my time in Monteverde and made the most of it. Arriving into town around 8:00pm, we found out that there was a local Christmas parade happening in the center out town. Marching bands from the surrounding cities came together to display their best Christmas tunes. After the parade, everyone cheered as fireworks illuminated the sky for the grand finale. It was a great way to start our time in Monteverde. One of the neatest experiences was climbing into a 200+ year old strangler fig tree. You could climb the limbs all the way to the top and check out the spectacular view. I wouldn’t recommend climbing for those who are afraid of heights or are claustrophobic, it does get tight at the top! One afternoon, we decided to take a coffee, sugar, and chocolate tour. During the tour, we learned about the full process of how coffee is grown and produced. I never knew just how much labor goes into making a single cup of coffee! Towards the end of the tour, I was greeted and hugged by a small older man, who I found out later was the owner of the plantation. Monteverde is known for having extreme adventure parks where you can zipline, bungee jump, and experience the mega swing. For 24,000 Colones ($45.00 USD) You can soar through the canopies and swinging like Tarzan and Jane in the jungle at 100% Adventura Park. If you aren’t sure whether or not you’re scared of heights, you’ll find out pretty quickly during one of these tours. Casa Tranquilo is a quaint and eco-friendly hostel that’s right off the main street in Monteverde. Dorms are offered at 5,300 Colones ($10.00 USD) and privates are available at 10,600 Colones ($20.00 USD). Breakfast including handmade banana bread, rice, beans and fresh fruit is provided each morning. Staff is very friendly and helpful with any tours you want to book. I would recommend staying with them if you visit Monteverde. From Monteverde, we took the 4:30am bus to La Irma where we would catch our bus to the border (Penas Blancas). There wasn’t a bus station in La Irma, so we waited on the side of the highway until a bus that was headed towards the border picked us up. Getting across the Nicaraguan border was interesting to say the least. Once we received our stamps, we hopped back on the bus to Rivas. From Rivas, we hopped on a local chicken bus into San Juan del Sur. Chicken buses are local buses that are jam packed full of people and live stock, but are a very inexpensive way to get around town. The buses are very quick to get people on and off and don’t wait for anything. The bus started moving as soon as I reached the stair well. We will be staying in San Juan del Sur for a few days and will be celebrating my birthday on the 12th!